Joseph Campbell's Monomyth And The Corpse Bride

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Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings – these are all epic tellings of a hero’s story that current generations and previous generations have enjoyed; and according to Joseph Campbell, they all have something in common. Joseph Campbell is a mythological researcher who spent years studying the structures of a myriad of stories and myths. Throughout his life-long research, he discovered a common theme amongst all hero-quest stories, a structure he dubbed the “monomyth”. Joseph Campbell’s monomyth can be related to every story following a hero on his or her journey, including Tim Burton’s The Corpse Bride.
The Corpse Bride starts out focusing on the arranged marriage between main character Victor Van Dort and love interest Victoria Everglot. Victor experiences his call to adventure one night when he is strolling through the woods practicing his wedding vows and accidently placed a ring on to a finger which he mistook for a stick. The finger turned out to belong to a dead bride who awakens and whisks Victor off the land of the dead. This event marks the beginning of Victor’s quest to return to the land of the living and marry his waiting fiancé. But like many heroes who suddenly and unsuspectingly introduced to their fate, Victor …show more content…

One common argument against the relation between The Corpse Bride and Campbell’s monomyth is the missing portions and the order in which the events occurred. Another argument is the true role that Emily had within the story, since halfway through the movie the focus appeared to switched from Victor to Emily. At the end of the movie, it is Emily who brings upon the resolution with the elixir and allows for a happy ending. Her roles could also be argued between the ally who helped Victor, especially near the finale, and the temptress who took him away from

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